Vogue Mocks Melania’s White House Portrait With Scathing Review: ‘Freelance Magician’

Vogue gave a blistering review of Melania Trump’s official White House portrait, calling it “boardroom pastiche” that makes her look like a “freelance magician.”

The piece threatens to reignite a feud between the magazine and the former model, who was snubbed from appearing on Vogue’s cover during her first stint as first lady, spurning a long-running tradition.

Released Monday, the black-and-white photo shows Melania leaning toward the camera, her hands perched on a reflective black desk in front of her, while wearing a black suit over a white shirt, unbuttoned at the top. The Washington Monument towers in the background.

The short review of Melania’s style in the portrait, published Tuesday by writer Hannah Jackson, is scathing.

“Trump looked more like she was guest starring on an episode of The Apprentice than assuming the role of first lady of the United States,” the article reads.

“Trump’s clothing certainly didn’t help the boardroom pastiche,” it continues. “The choice to wear a tuxedo—as opposed to a blazer or blouse—made Trump look more like a freelance magician than a public servant.”

The biting criticism went as far as to link Melania’s style decisions to her personal history as Donald Trump’s wife.

“It’s perhaps unsurprising that a woman who lived in a gold-encrusted penthouse, whose fame is so intertwined with a reality-television empire, would refuse to abandon theatrics—even when faced with 248 years of tradition,” it reads.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s request for comment on the critical Vogue article.

Melania’s portrait had previously provoked quite a response from users on social media, with many suggesting that her solemn expression and power suit were meant to send the message that she’s out for blood during her husband’s second term.

Vogue has long upheld a tradition of featuring American first ladies on its cover. Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden were all extended the honor. When Trump assumed office in 2017, however, Melania was not.

She complained about the snub in an interview with Fox in 2022.

“They’re biased and they have likes and dislikes, and it’s so obvious,” she said. “And I think American people and everyone sees it. It was their decision, and I have much more important things to do—and I did in the White House—than being on the cover of Vogue.”

Since Trump’s ascendance, Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, has taken subtle jabs at Melania. In 2019, she declined to acknowledge the sitting first lady during an interview with The Economist, instead opting to praise Michelle Obama.

“I think First Lady Michelle Obama was really so incredible in every decision she made about fashion,” Wintour said. “She supported young American designers. She supported designers, indeed, from all over the world. She was the best ambassador this country could possibly have, in many ways, obviously way beyond fashion.”

When the reporter reminded Wintour that Obama was not currently the first lady, the editor fired back that she “is the example I admire.”

At the time, a spokesperson for Melania dismissed Wintour as “insecure and small-minded.”

Melania was featured on the cover of Vogue in 2005, shortly after she married Trump.